Flame Azalea
Rhododendron calendulaceum
Orange, yellow, apricot, and red blooms in late May that hummingbirds find immediately. Tolerates drier slopes than other native azaleas.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most visually spectacular native azalea, with flower colors no hybrid can match, and a bloom window nothing else fills.
Flame azalea might be the most spectacular wildflower shrub in the eastern United States. Stand at a Appalachian overlook in late May with flame azalea in bloom on the slope below and the colors hit you before you can process what you're seeing: orange, yellow, apricot, red, sometimes all shades on a single hillside. William Bartram described it in 1791 as 'the most gay and brilliant flowering shrub ever seen.' That description still holds. It blooms in late spring, after pinxterbloom azalea and before sweet azalea, filling a specific window in the native azalea calendar. The large flowers are unscented but intensely colored. Hummingbirds find them immediately. It grows naturally on dry mountain slopes and forest edges, meaning it tolerates less moisture than other native azaleas. This is a slow grower that rewards patience with one of the most extraordinary bloom displays in the native plant world.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown flame azalea propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 4–10 ft · 4–10 ft wide
- Bloom time
- May–June
- Bloom color
- Yellow, Orange, Red
- USDA zones
- 5–7
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Native range
- Appalachian mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia, primarily mountain slopes and woodland edges
Care notes for flame azalea.
Well-drained, acidic, humus-rich soil in part shade to full sun. Less moisture-dependent than other native azaleas. tolerates drier woodland conditions. Mulch with pine bark or shredded oak leaves. Slow to establish and slow to grow; plan the site carefully and leave it alone. No fertilization with high-nitrogen products. Prune only to remove dead wood.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside flame azalea.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.